


Day 6 - Dragged Away

by broken_fannibal



Series: Whumptober 2019 [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Betrayal, Found Family, Gen, Guilt, Poor Arthur, Poor Merlin (Merlin), Presumed Dead, Whump, Whumptober, Whumptober 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-27 03:37:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20941652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/broken_fannibal/pseuds/broken_fannibal
Summary: Morgana and Mordred have to drag Arthur away from Merlin's dead body because the Saxons are closing in on them.But! Plot twist: Merlin isn't dead! And now he's in the hands of the Saxons.





	Day 6 - Dragged Away

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much @some-thrilling-heroics for listening to me when I got this idea and helping me flesh out the structure!
> 
> this is set somewhere after Uther's death. But Morgana is still in Camelot and Arthur doesn't know she's evil. Merlin might have started suspecting though.

The steps were coming closer.

Morgana was insistently pulling at his arm.

“We have to go!” Mordred whispered.

But Arthur couldn't tear his eyes away from Merlin's limp body.

Merlin who was always so full of life, who always had a joke to tell, who always smiled so brightly... was now dead.

“We can't- we can't leave him!” Arthur protested weakly, his voice wavering as tears continued to run down his cheeks. He squeezed Merlin's hand.

“There's no time! They're almost here!” Morgana urged him to move.

All fight left him. And he relented. He let himself be pulled to his feet.

Merlin's hand slipped from his own and hit the ground.

Merlin's expressionless face was the last thing he saw before they followed the bend of the tunnel.

They ran and ran, away from the cave. But Arthur's thoughts were still with Merlin. His heart was still with Merlin. It hurt to have to leave his loyal friend behind. It hurt beyond imagination. It wasn't right. It wasn't right to leave him at the mercy of the Saxons.

And now it was too late. He broke down on the grass outside the tunnel. He wished he would've had the chance to say goodbye.

When he had entered the main cave, Morgana had kneeled next to a body, bent over it. Arthur hadn't yet been able to see who it was.

“Arthur!” Mordred’s tone had been tense.

Arthur's steps slowed when he recognised the boots of the man Morgana was leaning over.

Mordred had stepped back respectfully, to give him room.

That should have already told him all he needed to know. But he didn't want to believe it. “Is he-” He couldn't bring himself to say it. He dropped to his knees on Merlin's other side.

Morgana looked at him, eyes wide and sad. “When we arrived it was already too late. I tried my best but I couldn't-” her voice broke and she looked away. “I couldn't save him. I’m sorry, Arthur.”

Arthur was drawn back to reality by a hand on his shoulder. He looked up. Mordred.

“We need to get going, Sire.” His tone was soft.

Arthur nodded numbly. He took Mordred's outstretched hand and let himself be pulled to his feet.

Their horses were still where they had left them. Four horses. Theirs and Merlin's. Arthur closed his eyes for a moment.

But then he heard shouting from the entrance of the cave and quickly mounted his horse. He took the reins of Merlin's mare.

With a nod to the others, they started racing through the forest. They split up to throw off anyone who would try to follow them.

They met at the clearing closest to the main gates of Camelot.

Arthur felt another rush of pain and guilt in his chest as they rode into the city. The reins of Merlin's horse felt heavy in his palm.

Everything reminded him of Merlin- and now of Merlin's absence. And that he would never ride through these gates, into the city with Merlin by his side ever again.

He retired to his chambers immediately. Not in the mood for any more company.

Mordred had offered to tell the rest of the knights, while Morgana would tell Gaius and Gwen.

Until deep into the night, Arthur lay awake. Wondering why hadn't just grabbed Merlin, heaved him onto his shoulders and taken him with them. It wouldn't have taken much time.

Instead, he had abandoned him, he had left his best friend behind.

How could he? Merlin wouldn't have done that! Merlin would have tried everything in his power had it been the other way around! So why hadn't he? Why had he given up so easily?

* * *

On a cold morning four months later a man dressed in ragged clothes walked through the gates of Camelot. His face was tired, he was skinny and bruised. But his eyes shone with determination. He had a mission.

The door to Arthur's chambers flew open.

He jumped and looked up.

No one dared to enter the King’s chambers without knocking. Let alone slamming the doors like this.

But his complaint got stuck in his throat as he recognised who it was.

“Merlin?” he whispered.

“Yes, _Arthur_.” There was a mocking tone in his voice that sent a chill down Arthur's spine.

“You're alive? How is that possible?”

“What do you mean ‘how is that possible’?” he spat. “You just left me there! You turned and ran to save your own skin!”

Arthur's eyes widened. “No! That's not true! I would never! Merlin, you know me! Why would I leave you behind?”

“That's what I’d like to know too.” His voice was bitter.

Arthur couldn't help the tears that formed in his eyes. He took a few steps closer to Merlin, tried to reach out, to touch him.

But Merlin took a step back.

Arthur gave a deep sigh. “Merlin, I wouldn't lie to you! I didn't know you were alive!”

Merlin's eyes narrowed. Arthur had never been a good liar- unlike his sister. “Let's assume I believe you...”

Arthur nodded- almost eagerly. He was too glad to see that Merlin wasn't entirely rejecting him anymore.

“Why would you not check if I was really dead? You seem to have made it a bit too easy for yourself?”

Arthur blinked. Now that he thought about it... “Morgana- she... she said you were dead. She said it had already been too late when she and Mordred arrived.” He looked at Merlin for a moment. Then his expression darkened. “Do you think she was lying?” He said slowly.

Merlin regarded him for a while. It might as well have happened that way. With Morgana, he never knew which side she was on at the moment. But if this was the case, Arthur needed to come to his own conclusions.

“But... what reason would she have to lie?” Arthur looked over at Merlin again.

Merlin shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

“We should ask her,” Arthur said decisively. With that, he grabbed Merlin's wrist and rushed out the door.

When he knocked, she opened the door, still in her nightclothes.

“Arthur? What are you doing here?”

“Can you explain this?” Arthur dragged Merlin up next to him and glared at Morgana.

Morgana’s eyes widened. More in shock than relief. “Merlin? But you were-”

“Dead?” Merlin said, his voice impatient. He could see that she would try to play a game of deceit again. But this time she wouldn't get through with it. He wouldn't let her pull the wool over Arthur's eyes,

“You told me he was dead,” Arthur said slowly. “But was he really?”

Morgana clenched her jaw.

But before she could say anything, there was a voice from inside her chambers. A voice that wasn't Gwen’s.

“What's going on?”

Merlin froze. He _knew_ that voice. After hearing it every day for nearly four months, how could he not? He pushed the door open and rushed inside.

And there she was. Morgause.

Arthur pushed past Morgana, ignoring her hand on his arm, trying to stop him. He recognised her too. How could he not? He pulled his sword.

“Explain this!” he shouted at Morgana who had run up to Morgause.

She stood completely still for a moment, calculating.

And suddenly it was like a mask slid off her face. Her smile was sharp and cold. “Well, look who’s finally caught on.”

Her cold tone sent shivers down his spine. “Morgana?”

“Oh, don't act so surprised, dear brother. You really could have seen this coming. Had you paid a little more attention to anything but yourself.”

His jaw clenched. He could not let her provoke him. “So you're working together with a sorceress?”

“She is my sister!” And with that, Morgana raised a hand.

To cast a spell Arthur noticed. Panic settled in his gut. But before he could even dart out of the way, the windows flew open and a powerful gust of wind knocked both Morgana and Morgause into the wall. They fell to the floor, unconscious.

Out of the corner of his eye, Arthur saw Merlin run to them and use the drapery to tie them up.

Arthur stepped out into the hallway and called for guards.

When Morgana and Morgause were secured in separate prison cells, Merlin and Arthur sat together at a table in the physician’s chambers.

After several minutes of silence, Arthur asked: “Can you forgive me?”

Merlin frowned. “What do you mean?”

“That I didn't check if you were alive myself. That I just blindly believed Morgana.”

It was quiet for a while. Then Merlin slowly said: “Yes. I forgive you for that.”

Arthur breathed a huge sigh of relief. It was a start.

“But why didn't you take me with you?” Merlin asked.

Guilt hit Arthur right in the heart. He looked away. “I should have. I regret it. I should have. If I had, none of this wouldn't have happened. You wouldn't have suffered like this.”

Merlin hummed. Part of him wanted to forgive Arthur. But part of him also wanted to make clear how betrayed he felt. “You shouldn't have believed Morgana.”

Arthur stared at his hands with a pained expression. “I know.”

“She has lied to you before. She has threatened Uther more than once.”

“I know. I just... I never thought... I never thought she would turn on us- on me like this. I’m her family after all.”

“She has chosen Morgause as her family.”

Arthur nodded in resignation.

Merlin saw him tense, saw the way his eyes widened. Now he looked over at Merlin with tears shimmering in his eyes.

“Arthur?” he couldn't help the worry that stole its way into his voice.

“I don't have anyone left now. My father is dead. Morgana... will soon be.” His eyes flicked to Merlin again. “It's just you and Gaius.”

“What about your knights?”

Arthur looked indecisive for a moment. “They’re good friends and I trust them with my life. But they’re not family.”

“And we are? Me and Gaius?” he asked incredulously.

After a short moment of hesitation, Arthur nodded.

Merlin felt a small smile form on his face.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! If you enjoyed it please consider leaving kudos/comments!
> 
> (also I finished this at 11.30 pm so if you see any typos or grammatical errors please tell me and I will fix them. I'll look this over again tomorrow too. But for now, I wanted it done.)


End file.
